Two celebrity media events for your diaries... one featuring Nick Robinson, presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, and the other with Jon Plowman, the man responsible for a host of BBC TV comedy programmes.
Robinson will be the guest speaker at this year’s Journalists’ Charity autumn lunch in Birmingham and will talk about his life and work. And there is a lot for him to cover.
For three years he was ITN political editor, followed by 10 years as the BBC’s political editor, and he is the only journalist to have had both roles.
Before taking up his current post, he suffered a serious illness that threatened to end his career. Since his recovery he has proved to be a formidable interviewer in the best tradition of the Today programme.
He says: “A healthy society needs journalists willing to provoke public debate and to ask awkward questions. Only a very few will ever get fame or fortune. The Journalists’ Charity works for the rest – and, therefore, for us all.”
The event will be held in the Holte suite at Aston Villa football club on 25 November. Derek Inman, chairman of the charity’s Midlands branch, said: “We’re very grateful to Nick for agreeing to speak, so we can maintain our proud record of bringing top class celebrities to the second city.”
Robinson follows speakers such as Michael Parkinson, Chris Tarrant, Richard Branson, Kate Adie, Robert Peston, Jon Snow, Fern Britton and Trevor McDonald.
Inman said: “The lunches are attended by all the top media and business people in the region and provide major networking opportunities. We know we will have another full house.”
Individual tickets cost £50 and tables for 10 get a discount price of £475. To book, and to obtain further information, go to www.journalistscharity.org.uk.
An Absolutely Fabulous evening...
At the end of this month, the Media Society is hosting a conversation between Phil Harding and Jon Plowman, the executive producer of a range of iconic comedy programmes.
His hit rate over the last 20 years has been phenomenal. Plowman’s list of credits includes French & Saunders, Smith and Jones, Absolutely Fabulous, The Vicar of Dibley, Goodness Gracious Me, The League of Gentlemen, The Office, Little Britain, Extras, The Thick of It and Twenty Twelve.
And let’s not forget that superb parody of the BBC, W1A, where “the head of values” (played by Hugh Bonneville) vainly seeks to define, or re-define, the core purpose of the BBC across all its functions.
Meanwhile, harassed controller of news, Neil Reid (played by David Westhead), struggles to understand news transmission in a fast-moving digital age. Well something like that.
Plenty of anecdotes about that, plus the behind-the-scenes adventures of Patsy and Edina, are likely to be told in the conversation on Monday, 26 September at the Groucho Club (from 6.30-9.30pm). To book, go to eventbrite.
